The Challenges and Benefits of Home-Schooling

[Hope]

If somebody can't count money or make correct change, I believe there is something seriously lacking in their skills, I don't care where they were educated.

[Mom2Savannah]

Ok Hope, You have the right to your opinion.  But it was in relation to homeschooled children and that's when I said even public schooled people have issues with Math.

[alba aurora]

Just now, Mom2Savannah said:

 

I don't like people basing academics on whether people are equipped to live in this world, neither do I think calling them appalling is appropriate.

 

Unfortunately, in this wicked system, academics do count. The working world is very competitive and it does come down to grades and number of credits. Especially once kids get into high school and if they choose to pursue additional education. 

[Hope]

Even in the New World -- we will have to know how to count, right?  I'm failing to see how that is an unimportant skill compared to.... anything, really.

[Mom2Savannah]

Seriously Hope?  I feel education is highly important!  I was a certified teacher in the state of Massachusetts.  I never said we didn't need to count! But keep going.  

[alba aurora]

3 minutes ago, Mom2Savannah said:

issues with Math.

In North America, many kids have issues with math. We have a brother here who has a degree in math and he tutors many of the kids but the ones that are homeschooled and those that attend public school.

 

My son found the solution to understanding math, he had a brother from the Chinese congregation tutor him.  A few lessons from this brother and it all came together for him.  

So I don't think its who does it better. It's how the  language is constructed and influences our understanding of math concepts. 

 

But I would never suggest to any child not to expand their mind and try hard to excel at math. Math is so important.

 

 

[Mom2Savannah]

Well as a teacher I would never suggest that either.  I just didn't like basing academics on whether people are equipped to live in this world, neither do I think calling them appalling is appropriate.  We love learning that's why we homeschool!  I was suggesting that there are other concepts for those that have a difficult time with Math.  Math is great but not everyone will have an easy time with it.

[Mom2Savannah]

I apologize for words I said that were judgmental.  That was not my intent.  It was merely to protect those that are gifted in other areas.  I have worked with a lot of challenged children and feel they have a lot to offer regardless of their academics.  And feel in the end our heart condition is what is most important.

[kejedo]

4 hours ago, alba aurora said:

Pauline, the children you are helping are fortunate to have you. Have you always taught in homeschool settings or did you teach in a regular public school?

I started tutoring math when I was seven y/o.  I spent over 30 (adult) years as a Social Worker and School Teacher, all secondary subjects, but mostly maths.  I have always tutored for free, community and our brothers and sisters.  I am glad for everyone on here that is supportive of home educators.  My point about the maths is that people should be able to count back change and perform basic operations. I also taught my students how to balance a bank account.  Most vocational entrance exams will have problems to be solved without a calculator. There are, frequently, also parts that allow calculator use. Many jobs are now giving tests to prospective employees. These tests include basic operations, fractions, decimals and per cent problems to be completed without a calculator.  I home schooled my children for a portion of their education, and regret letting them finish in public school. That's just my small experience.

[kejedo]

47 minutes ago, alba aurora said:

49 minutes ago, alba aurora said:

In North America, many kids have issues with math. We have a brother here who has a degree in math and he tutors many of the kids but the ones that are homeschooled and those that attend public school.

 

My son found the solution to understanding math, he had a brother from the Chinese congregation tutor him.  A few lessons from this brother and it all came together for him.  

So I don't think its who does it better. It's how the  language is constructed and influences our understanding of math concepts. 

 

But I would never suggest to any child not to expand their mind and try hard to excel at math. Math is so important.

 

 

I think our school systems are lacking in many aspects.  Trying to teach students the Pythagorean Theorem and the Quadratic formula when there is no basic under standing of math operations does not enhance conceptual learning.  Kudos to all parents who are spiritually educating their young ones, and supplementing it with home education or public schooling.  My goal is the same as mentioned above: to assist our young ones.  We no longer teach students how to parse (diagram) sentences, but being able to articulate a sentence properly is impressive to householders.  I am sure that all here deserve a pat on the back for educating our youth, spiritually and secularly.

 

 

 

[kejedo]

21 minutes ago, kejedo said:

 

p.s. 'under standing' should be 'understanding.' Sorry for the typo (spacing).

[alba aurora]

29 minutes ago, kejedo said:

I home schooled my children for a portion of their education, and regret letting them finish in public school. That's just my small experience.

Pauline, anybody reading your posts, will come to the conclusion that you are an excellent teacher.  What a blessing for your children  that you were able to teach them. 

I believe that most of our fellow brothers and sister do a fair amount of educating at home. After all that's where  education starts. Even the ones that send their kids to public school, still take the time to be involved in their child's learning experience. It's good parenting. 

 

And the math? Well , most kids master it effectively at some point. 

 

I know that one of the reasons for keepings kids at home is the fear that they will draw away from Jehovah. But even children need to make a defence of their faith. If they are never allowed to do it during their formative years , how will they do it  in a work environment?  

[Elijahsmama]

4 hours ago, Hope said:

I'd hope that the number of public schooled kids not having workable math skills is not the measure we use for homeschooled kids.  Anyone beyond 8th grade level who doesn't know their time tables - by heart - and can't figure above basic math calculations without a calculator is ill-equipped for adulthood.  Good reading, etc. doesn't cover that lack... each skill fills its own niche.  There are just some things we NEED to know in order to function.  The ignorance Pauline described is appalling!  

 

Being properly educated is not mutually exclusive to having a spiritual outlook on life, I don't think.  

 

Noteworthy.   A woman I work with sent her 10 year old to Kuman for math help because times tables aren't even included in the public school cirriculum in the state of Pennsylvania.  

[alba aurora]

5 minutes ago, kejedo said:

'under standing' should be 'understanding.' Sorry for the typo (spacing).

No need to be sorry.  I think that on online forums everybody understands that grammatical mistakes are made. I make so many because I seem to type faster than I think 

[alba aurora]

8 minutes ago, Elijahsmama said:

A woman I work with sent her 10 year old to Kuman for math help because times tables aren't even included in the public school cirriculum in the state of Pennsylvania.

 In all fairness, times table is taught by grade 3. https://www.ixl.com/standards/pennsylvania/math/grade-3

 

[kejedo]

20 minutes ago, alba aurora said:

 In all fairness, times table is taught by grade 3. https://www.ixl.com/standards/pennsylvania/math/grade-3

 

These standards are relatively new, and I dare say most teachers are novices at trying to implement them. Rote math (such as multiplication facts) was eliminated by NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) at least by the 90s when I was teaching public school. In more recent years, the NCTM has made less dogmatic statements about how to instruct regarding the concept of multiplication. Example from NCTM -"Learning Objectives. Students will: Create and solve multiplication stories. Practice selected multiplication facts." This left the option of teaching multiplication methods up to the teacher or school district. Like handwriting, learning multiplication tables had become optional or obsolete in some cases. Enter common core with new expectations. I have sat in with teachers who are petrified to teach math facts, because they never learned them.  

[Hope]

Yes, and we had to recite them from memory - 1s thru 12s by then.  Schoolhouse Rock was exceedingly helpful in that regard!  I know them like I know my name to this day.

[alba aurora]

1 minute ago, Hope said:

Yes, and we had to recite them from memory - 1s thru 12s by then.  Schoolhouse Rock was exceedingly helpful in that regard!  I know them like I know my name to this day.

That's why I failed the times table I didn't recite to Schoolhouse Rock. 

Seriously my dad used to make me recite the times table often. I still recite it in my head when I get bored.

 

 

 

[kejedo]

I might look into School House Rock to use with the homeschoolers that I am blessed to spend time with. (HaHa, a preposition is a word one should never end a sentence with.)  It's somewhat likened to reviewing 2 Timothy 3: 1-5, and 16;  Matthew 24:14, and Psalm 83:18 - we use them  so frequently that we can call them up with little effort. Our new "Books of the Bible" vids are nonpareil.  We are all on the same side and sharing approaches. There is more than one way to build a boat. I, for one, choose not to build a boat the way in which my birth certificate Dad did. That is: in the cellar, a place from which it could never be removed- no exit. Nice boat that we could go down into the cellar to look at, but it never saw H20.  Your dry docked Sis

[Elijahsmama]

1 hour ago, alba aurora said:

 In all fairness, times table is taught by grade 3. https://www.ixl.com/standards/pennsylvania/math/grade-3

 

 

She was in the 4th grade when her mother put her in the extra math program, that was the point of my comment.   She is currently in the 5th grade and in a private school that has a different curriculum (non common core) than public schools in my state.   As commented before memorization of the times tables is an option. 

Edited May 5, 2016 by Elijahsmama

[Hope]

23 minutes ago, kejedo said:

I might look into School House Rock to use with the homeschoolers that I am blessed to spend time with. (HaHa, a preposition is a word one should never end a sentence with.)  It's somewhat likened to reviewing 2 Timothy 3: 1-5, and 16;  Matthew 24:14, and Psalm 83:18 - we use them  so frequently that we can call them up with little effort. Our new "Books of the Bible" vids are nonpareil.  We are all on the same side and sharing approaches. There is more than one way to build a boat. I, for one, choose not to build a boat the way in which my birth certificate Dad did. That is: in the cellar, a place from which it could never be removed- no exit. Nice boat that we could go down into the cellar to look at, but it never saw H20.  Your dry docked Sis

Oh, do!  That entire series was fantastic - nothing like catchy tunes and fun animation to spark up memorization.  I still remember so much of math, parts of speech, civics (the Preamble was superb!).  Great jazz musicians like Blossom Dearie, Grady Tate, Bob Dorough... and quite inexpensive! 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Schoolhouse-Rock-Special-30th-Anniversary/dp/B00005JKTY 

[Elijahsmama]

FYI. I purchased a 30th anniversary DVD of Schoolhouse rock on ebay.  It has all the songs on it and I paid less than 11.00 including shipping.   I figured even if we watched it once for nostalgic reasons it will be fun.  They also have the multiplication DVD but that is more and I am not even close to worrying about that yet.      

[Hope]

The Amazon offering is only $8.74 and includes all the math, science, grammar, civics... and my two year old brother was singing along to the tunes. Never too young!

[runner92]

I don't know, but I don't think you have to know time tables to make it in life. Some times I have to think about what 7, 8, and 9''s are, but I can function well to know if I get correct change back and things like that.

[Old]

A different era, the same ponderous thoughts: